The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-06-10

weapon would have been promptly frus-
trated. Since the assassination of Garfield
the greatest care has been taken of our presi-
dents, and the guards at the White House are
stricter now than they have ever been. At
some of the receptions detectives have been
present, dressed in citizens clothes, and the
front doors of the White House have been
carefully watched.
-.
Attorney General Garland's statement that
he intends to retire from public life is sur
prise to his friends here, as is also the state
ment that President Cleveland offered him
the position of interstate commerce commits
sioner. He win leave many friends at WASH
ington, for Notwithstanding the fact that he
will never wear a dress coat, and does not ap-
pear in fashionable society, he is one OF the
most popular of public men. He makes
strong friendships, and he has a number of
devoted friends in the senate. He likes to
talk, can tell a good story, and is full Of west
ern common sense. His not appearing in So
ciety is not due to snobbishness or dena-
gogism, and he did not refuse to go to the
White House receptions and cabinet dinners
in order to make capital with his constitu-
ents don't think there is much Of the Blue
Jeans Williams style of craftsmanship about
Garland, and he has never promised his peo-
pie, as did one OF the present members of the
senate, that he would never put on swallow
tail coat nor ride in a carriage. The true Sc
cret of Garland's absence from society was
lately told me by one of the leading ladies of
the cabinet circle, and she based her inforrna-
tion on letter which Attorney General Gar
land wrote to her, declining to attend one of
her dinners. He said he could not 20 on ac-
count of the feelings inspired by the death of
his wife. He has not been in society since her
death, and he could not bear to go anywhere
now. He did not intend to attend even the
dinners of the president, and he knew that the
madame would appreciate his feelings and
pardon his declination.
Such instances of loyalty to dead wives are
not common among public men, and we have
more statesmen who have married twice than
those who have remained widowers Still,
Tom Benton, in his preface to his Thirty
Years View" says that lie never went to
any place of festivity after his wife's death,
and jefferson, Van Buren, and Arthur re-
mained extremely loyal to the memory of
their wives. **s
Attorney General Garland has lived ex-
tre1nely quiet here in Washington. His
house has been q very comfortable frame on
of the city. His mother has been his house
keeper, and she has given such cabinet recep-
tions as the attorney general has furnished.
She is devoted to Garland, and she is as much
wrapt up in him now as when he tr,,tted
around her Tennessee house one of the ugliest
little young ones i'll the west For, however
able Garland may be and undoubtedly is. no
me will sey he has much of the beautiful
ahOut him he is tail and we'll formed hy1t
his closely shaven face is rough in its features,
and it is as homely as that of Abraham Lin
coin. There is nothing of the dude
about his dress, and he wears black
slouch hat, and never a silk one. He
has no ruffies on his shirt, as had
Gen. Brewster, and he wears the old fashioned
kind that button in front and have the cuff
attached to the sleeve. Garland's collar
is a turn over one, and his soft silk necktie of
plain black is evidently tied with his own
hands He is not particular about the cut of
his hair, and when at work he wears his spec
tacles on the middle of his nose. He has small
hands and feet, and on his left hand little fin
ger he wears a big seal ring, which, with the
exception of hair watch chain, forms his
only jewelry. He is as democratic in his
habits as in his dress, walks to and from his
office, and talks as pleasantly to messenger
as to a cabinet minister. He has spent his
vacations at Hominy Hill, his log cabin in the
woods near Little Rock, and there last year
he shot seven deer, one coon, fourteen wild
turkeys and hundreds of ducks. He will
probably spend part Of the summer there,
and this will be his favorite resort when hs
goes back to his practice at Little Rock.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.